Officials hear questions on Canandaigua lakefront project

Tuesday

Nov 12, 2013 at 12:27 PMNov 12, 2013 at 1:44 PM

By Scott Pukosspukos@messengerpostmedia.com

CANANDAIGUA — Residents, landlords and business owners who spoke Thursday night at a hearing for a proposed $100 million lakefront development, remained optimistic about the North Shore project, despite some concerns.

Nine people spoke out at the hearing, and comments included parking concerns, worries about the look of the apartment buildings, praise for those involved with the project, and questions about the development.

The hearing gave the public a chance to speak about phase one of Morgan-LeChase Development's mixed residential and commercial project on Lakeshore Drive, across from Kershaw Park. In October, City Council approved a preliminary site plan application for the first phase of the development. This phase is located at 25 Booth St., near Tim Hortons/Wendy’s and McDonald’s, along with the current Scoops Ice Cream location and the former site of Polimeni’s Restaurant. The phase one plans are available at canandaiguanewyork.gov.

The public hearing was used to gather comments and concerns, Mayor Ellen Polimeni said. Answers will be addressed throughout the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process, including during a Nov. 21 meeting. Additionally, City Council will review its own questions for developers Morgan-LeChase on Tuesday, Nov. 19, before a budget workshop meeting, Polimeni said.

Some speakers not only had concerns, but also questioned the look of the project.

“I think this loses some of the scale of Canandaigua, especially the small-town feel,” Sean Buck, of Canandaigua, said. “Five stories is just very tall, especially at that end of the lake.”

Resident Marty McMillan raised a question that others have posed: What about the two properties on Lakeshore Drive, just east of Booth Street? These parcels house Finger Lakes Premier Properties and Jose & Willy’s. The two business are in the same area as the North Shore project; however, they are owned separately from the project and are not part of the development.

“There seems to be two pieces of property that stick out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the project,” McMillan said. “My question is this: What’s the purpose of the access road (the proposed North Shore Boulevard)? Can you assure property owners they won’t lose their property to eminent domain?”

Eminent domain is the right of a government to take private property for public use, with compensation. It was used by the city in 2009 to take property on Lakeshore Drive from Dan Homik. That property is not being used for the North Shore development, but is being utilized for a proposed hotel and conference center just east of the 21-acre project.

Polimeni said it’s unlikely eminent domain will be used on those two properties.

“There’s been absolutely no such discussion,” she said. “It’s my understanding those properties aren’t interested in selling.”

Phase one includes the addition of a North Shore Boulevard — which would run from north to south through the development — and a realignment of Booth Street to fit with the property lines of the North Shore proposal.

Greg Barkstrom, a representative of the Wendy’s on Booth Street, said his employer is supportive of the project but the Booth Street modification — as it is now — would cut off access to the combination Wendy’s and Tim Horton’s restaurant in that area.

“Anything that makes it more difficult to get in will cut down on our sales,” Barkstrom said.

He added that Wendy’s has been in discussions with the developer to fix the problem.

Alison Grems, the president/CEO of the Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce, also addressed the project. Grems praised developer Morgan-LeChase, especially its role in an environmental cleanup along the 21-acre property. The land is part of a state Department of Environmental Conservation Brownfield program.

“If the project does not proceed, it could be years or decades before another opportunity presents itself,” Grems said.

Morgan-LeChase Development of Rochester was named developer of the project in May, following a search by the Canandaigua Area Development Corporation (CADC). The CADC became involved in 2011, several years after a previous plan by property owner David Genecco fell through due to an unstable economic climate. Genneco currently owns the property across from Kershaw Park; however, a deal to sell the parcels to Morgan-LeChase is expected to be completed in 2014.

“This project looks good. It’s been years trying to get something done down there … I can go back 25 years,” Canandaigua resident Rocco “Okie” Maio. “In the meantime, [property owner] Dave Genecco came in and he buys the property thinking he can get something done, and all he’s gotten is aggravation.”